Manti Te'o
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Manti Malietau Louis Te'o ( ; born January 26, 1991) is an American former professional
football Football is a family of team sports that involve, to varying degrees, kick (football), kicking a football (ball), ball to score a goal (sports), goal. Unqualified, football (word), the word ''football'' generally means the form of football t ...
player who was a
linebacker Linebacker (LB) is a playing position in gridiron football. Linebackers are members of the defensive team, and typically line up three to five yards behind the line of scrimmage and so back up the defensive linemen. They play closer to the line ...
in the
National Football League The National Football League (NFL) is a Professional gridiron football, professional American football league in the United States. Composed of 32 teams, it is divided equally between the American Football Conference (AFC) and the National ...
(NFL). He played
college football College football is gridiron football that is played by teams of amateur Student athlete, student-athletes at universities and colleges. It was through collegiate competition that gridiron football American football in the United States, firs ...
for the
Notre Dame Fighting Irish The Notre Dame Fighting Irish are the athletic teams that represent the University of Notre Dame. The Fighting Irish participate in 26 National Collegiate Athletic Association (NCAA) Division I intercollegiate sports and in the NCAA's Division ...
, earning unanimous All-American honors and receiving multiple national awards. He was selected by the
San Diego Chargers The San Diego Chargers were a professional American football team in the National Football League (NFL). The Chargers played in San Diego, California from 1961 until 2016, before relocating back to the Greater Los Angeles area, where the franch ...
in the second round of the
2013 NFL draft The 2013 NFL draft was the 78th annual meeting of National Football League (NFL) franchises to select newly eligible football players. The draft, which is officially called the "NFL Player Selection Meeting", was held at Radio City Music Hall in ...
and played in the NFL until 2021. Since 2024, Te'o has worked as an on-air commentator and analyst for
NFL Network NFL Network (occasionally abbreviated on-air as NFLN) is an American sports-oriented pay television network owned by the National Football League NTP and is part of NFL Media, which also includes NFL.com, NFL Films, NFL Mobile, NFL Now and N ...
. In 2012, Te'o became the victim of a
catfishing Catfishing refers to the creation of a fictitious online persona, or fake identity (typically on social networking platforms), with the intent of deception, usually to mislead a victim into an online romantic relationship or to commit finan ...
ruse when Ronaiah Tuiasosopo created a fake online persona named Lennay Kekua with whom Te'o became romantically involved.


Early life

Te'o played for
Punahou School Punahou School (known as Oahu College until 1934) is a private, co-educational, college preparatory school in Honolulu, Hawaii. More than 3,700 students attend the school from kindergarten through 12th grade. The school was established by P ...
, a
private Private or privates may refer to: Music * "In Private", by Dusty Springfield from the 1990 album ''Reputation'' * Private (band), a Denmark-based band * "Private" (Ryōko Hirosue song), from the 1999 album ''Private'', written and also recorded ...
co-ed Mixed-sex education, also known as mixed-gender education, co-education, or coeducation (abbreviated to co-ed or coed), is a system of education where males and females are educated together. Whereas single-sex education was more common up to t ...
institution in
Honolulu Honolulu ( ; ) is the List of capitals in the United States, capital and most populous city of the U.S. state of Hawaii, located in the Pacific Ocean. It is the county seat of the Consolidated city-county, consolidated City and County of Honol ...
, where he had also attended middle school. Te'o began his varsity career in 2006 with stellar play that won him selection to the second-team all-state roster as a sophomore. As a junior in 2007, Te'o was named the state defensive player of the year by the ''
Honolulu Advertiser ''The Honolulu Advertiser'' was a daily newspaper published in Honolulu, Hawaii. At the time publication ceased on June 6, 2010, it was the largest daily newspaper in Hawaii. It published daily with special Sunday and Internet editions. ''The ...
'' and the
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state player of the year. He received first-team all-state honors while totaling 90
tackles Tackle may refer to: * In football: ** Tackle (football move), a play in various forms of football ** Tackle (gridiron football position) A tackle is a playing position in American football. Historically, in the one-platoon system prevalent ...
and five sacks on defense and 400 rushing yards and ten
touchdowns A touchdown (abbreviated as TD) is a scoring play in gridiron football. Scoring a touchdown grants the team that scored it 6 points. Whether running, passing, returning a kickoff or punt, or recovering a turnover, a team scores a touchd ...
as a
running back A running back (RB) is a member of the offensive backfield in gridiron football. The primary roles of a running back are to receive American football plays#Offensive terminology, handoffs from the quarterback to Rush (American football)#Offense ...
. Te'o drew considerable attention from colleges and recruiters in the process. Te'o came into his senior year as one of the most celebrated players and recruits both on the state and national levels, landing on a number of national top ten recruiting lists before the start of the season. He received offers from over 30 college programs. During his senior year, Te'o helped lead Punahou to its first-ever state championship in football during the 2008 season. He amassed 129 tackles, including 11 sacks, forced three
fumbles A fumble in gridiron football occurs when a player who has possession and control of the ball loses it before being downed (tackled), scoring, or going out of bounds. By rule, it is any act other than passing, kicking, punting, or successful ...
, tipped four passes and totaled 19 quarterback hurries. On offense at running back, Te'o rushed for 176 yards (5.3 yards per carry) and four touchdowns and had three receptions, two for touchdowns. He also had three touchdowns, returning one 49 yards for a touchdown. He also returned a blocked punt for a touchdown. He received his second straight Gatorade state player of the year award for his play during the season and was named first-team all-state and the state defensive player of the year for the second straight season. Te'o was such a force that ''
The Honolulu Advertiser ''The Honolulu Advertiser'' was a daily newspaper published in Honolulu, Hawaii. At the time publication ceased on June 6, 2010, it was the largest daily newspaper in Hawaii. It published daily with special Sunday and Internet editions. ''The ...
'' considered just naming him the overall state player of the year. He is regarded as one of the most highly recruited athletes, both in football and for any sport, in the history of the state of Hawaii. In 2008, Te'o won the inaugural
Butkus Award The Butkus Award, instituted in 1985 by the Downtown Athletic Club of Orlando, is given annually to the top linebackers at the high school, collegiate and professional levels of football. The award, named in honor of College Football Hall of Fame ...
at the high school level, awarded to the best prep
linebacker Linebacker (LB) is a playing position in gridiron football. Linebackers are members of the defensive team, and typically line up three to five yards behind the line of scrimmage and so back up the defensive linemen. They play closer to the line ...
in the United States. He was also named the 2008 Sporting News High School Athlete of the Year, becoming the first person from the state of Hawaii and the first athlete of Polynesian descent to receive the award.
USA Today ''USA Today'' (often stylized in all caps) is an American daily middle-market newspaper and news broadcasting company. Founded by Al Neuharth in 1980 and launched on September 14, 1982, the newspaper operates from Gannett's corporate headq ...
named Te'o the national Defensive Player of the Year and a first-team
All-American The All-America designation is an annual honor bestowed on outstanding athletes in the United States who are considered to be among the best athletes in their respective sport. Individuals receiving this distinction are typically added to an Al ...
. He is only the third high school player from Hawaii to be named to the USA Today All-American team, after Pat Kesi in
1990 Important events of 1990 include the Reunification of Germany and the unification of Yemen, the formal beginning of the Human Genome Project (finished in 2003), the launch of the Hubble Space Telescope, the separation of Namibia from South ...
and Jason Ching in
1995 1995 was designated as: * United Nations Year for Tolerance * World Year of Peoples' Commemoration of the Victims of the Second World War This was the first year that the Internet was entirely privatized, with the United States government ...
(Ching, too, is a Punahou and Notre Dame alumnus). Te'o was also named to the 2009 Parade All-American team as well. On January 10, 2010, Te'o was named the Hawaii State Defensive Player of the Decade (2000–2009) by the ''Honolulu Advertiser''.


College recruitment and rankings

Te'o was nationally regarded as one of the elite prospects of the class of 2009. Major recruiting service Rivals.com listed him as a five-star recruit—the first from Hawaii since Jonathan Mapu in 2002—and ranked him second among inside linebackers only behind Vontaze Burfict. Also listed as five-star recruit, Te'o was ranked as the No. 1 strongside linebacker in his class by Scout.com. On
National Signing Day National Signing Day has traditionally been the first day that a high school senior can sign a binding National Letter of Intent for a collegiate sport with a school that is a Division II member of the National Collegiate Athletic Association ...
of 2009, Te'o committed to the University of Notre Dame. He chose the Fighting Irish, then coached by Charlie Weis, over
Brigham Young Brigham Young ( ; June 1, 1801August 29, 1877) was an American religious leader and politician. He was the second President of the Church (LDS Church), president of the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints (LDS Church) from 1847 until h ...
and
Southern California Southern California (commonly shortened to SoCal) is a geographic and Cultural area, cultural List of regions of California, region that generally comprises the southern portion of the U.S. state of California. Its densely populated coastal reg ...
. Te'o was the first ''
USA Today ''USA Today'' (often stylized in all caps) is an American daily middle-market newspaper and news broadcasting company. Founded by Al Neuharth in 1980 and launched on September 14, 1982, the newspaper operates from Gannett's corporate headq ...
'' Defensive Player of the Year to commit to the Irish since
Kory Minor Kory DeShaun Minor (born December 15, 1976) is an American former professional football player who was a linebacker in the National Football League (NFL). He played 30 games in four seasons for the Carolina Panthers. Minor was an outside lin ...
in 1995.


College career

Te'o enrolled in the
University of Notre Dame The University of Notre Dame du Lac (known simply as Notre Dame; ; ND) is a Private university, private Catholic research university in Notre Dame, Indiana, United States. Founded in 1842 by members of the Congregation of Holy Cross, a Cathol ...
, where he played for the
Notre Dame Fighting Irish football The Notre Dame Fighting Irish football team is a college football team representing the University of Notre Dame in Notre Dame, Indiana (CDP), Notre Dame, Indiana, north of the city of South Bend, Indiana. The team plays its home games at the ca ...
team from 2009 to 2012.


Freshman season

Te'o entered his first college game at the start of the second defensive series early in the second quarter versus
Nevada Nevada ( ; ) is a landlocked state in the Western United States. It borders Oregon to the northwest, Idaho to the northeast, California to the west, Arizona to the southeast, and Utah to the east. Nevada is the seventh-most extensive, th ...
on September 5, 2009. On his third snap Te'o tackled Wolf Pack
quarterback The quarterback (QB) is a position in gridiron football who are members of the offensive side of the ball and mostly line up directly behind the Lineman (football), offensive line. In modern American football, the quarterback is usually consider ...
Colin Kaepernick Colin Rand Kaepernick ( ; born November 3, 1987) is an American civil rights activist and former professional football quarterback. He played six seasons for the San Francisco 49ers in the National Football League (NFL). In 2016, he gained na ...
after an 11-yard gain on third and 15 for his first collegiate tackle. After playing, but not starting, his first three games, Te'o made his first collegiate start in the Irish's game versus
Purdue Purdue University is a public land-grant research university in West Lafayette, Indiana, United States, and the flagship campus of the Purdue University system. The university was founded in 1869 after Lafayette businessman John Purdue donat ...
. He played in all 12 games of his freshman season and finished the season with 63
tackles Tackle may refer to: * In football: ** Tackle (football move), a play in various forms of football ** Tackle (gridiron football position) A tackle is a playing position in American football. Historically, in the one-platoon system prevalent ...
, the third-most tackles ever by a Notre Dame freshman behind Bob Golic (82 in 1975) and Ross Browner (68 in 1973). Te'o also recorded 5.5 tackles for loss and 1
sack A sack usually refers to a rectangular-shaped bag. Sack may also refer to: Bags * Flour sack * Gunny sack * Hacky sack, sport * Money sack * Paper sack * Sleeping bag * Stuff sack * Knapsack Other uses * Bed, a slang term * Sack (band), ...
. On December 8, 2009, Te'o was named a Freshman All-American by ''
College Football News ''College Football News'' (''CFN'') is a magazine and website published by College Football News, Inc., headquartered in Chicago, Illinois. News coverage includes scores, statistics, rankings, and reports on college football games. Analysis incl ...
''. He was also named a second-team Freshman All-American by Rivals.com.


Sophomore season

Te'o moved from outside to inside linebacker in 2010 as Notre Dame switched to a 3–4 defensive scheme under defensive coordinator
Bob Diaco Robert Albert Diaco (born February 19, 1973) is an American American football, football coach and a former linebacker. He is the defensive line coach for the North Carolina Tar Heels football, North Carolina Tar Heels of the Atlantic Coast Confer ...
. On April 30, 2010, Te'o was named to the 2010
Lombardi Award The Rotary Lombardi Award is an award for college football in the United States. Awarded by the Rotary Club of Houston, Texas annually to the college football player "who best embodies the values and spirit of NFL's legendary coach Vince Lombard ...
& Nagurski Award watch lists. Te'o led the Fighting Irish in tackles with 133, and was second in tackles for loss with 9.5. Against
Stanford Leland Stanford Junior University, commonly referred to as Stanford University, is a private research university in Stanford, California, United States. It was founded in 1885 by railroad magnate Leland Stanford (the eighth governor of and th ...
on September 25, Te'o finished with 21 total tackles. This total represents a career-high for Te'o and is also the most tackles in a game by an individual for Notre Dame since 2006. Te'o was named one of 16 semifinalists for both the Butkus Award (Best Collegiate Linebacker) and the Bednarik Award for top College defensive player. He was also named a Second-team All-American by CNNSI.


Junior season

Te'o led the Fighting Irish in tackles for the second straight season in 2011 with 128. He also led the team in tackles for loss with 13.5 and finished second in sacks with 5.0. Te'o was a finalist for the
Butkus Award The Butkus Award, instituted in 1985 by the Downtown Athletic Club of Orlando, is given annually to the top linebackers at the high school, collegiate and professional levels of football. The award, named in honor of College Football Hall of Fame ...
and the Lott Trophy and was selected as the 2011 FBS Independent Defensive Player of the Year. Te'o was named a second-team All-American by the
Associated Press The Associated Press (AP) is an American not-for-profit organization, not-for-profit news agency headquartered in New York City. Founded in 1846, it operates as a cooperative, unincorporated association, and produces news reports that are dist ...
,
Walter Camp Football Foundation The Walter Camp Football Foundation (WCFF) is one of the organizations whose College Football All-America Team is recognized by the National Collegiate Athletic Association The National Collegiate Athletic Association (NCAA) is a nonprofit ...
, Rivals.com,
Phil Steele Phil Steele (c. 1960) is an American sportswriter and analyst who focuses exclusively on college and professional football. He is considered a "highly respected prognosticator" within the sports media. His company, Phil Steele Publications, pro ...
and CNNSI. He was also named to the
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Academic All-American second-team.


Senior season

Te’o announced on December 11, 2011, that he would return to Notre Dame for his senior season. Te'o entered his final season as one of 10 players in Notre Dame history to record over 300 career tackles and started the season eighth on the career tackles list for the Fighting Irish. During the season, Te’o was the leading tackler and leader in interceptions for a 12–0 Notre Dame team which had the second-ranked scoring defense (10.33 points per game) in the country. He had 103 tackles in the regular season (52 solo, 51 assisted, 8.58 per game), including 5.5 tackles for loss and 1.5 sacks (one for 13 yards of
Oklahoma Oklahoma ( ; Choctaw language, Choctaw: , ) is a landlocked U.S. state, state in the South Central United States, South Central region of the United States. It borders Texas to the south and west, Kansas to the north, Missouri to the northea ...
quarterback Landry Jones.) Te’o also led the team, as well as all FBS linebackers, in interceptions. Te’o's 7 interceptions during the 2012 season are the most by any FBS linebacker since 2001. He ranked third in the nation at 0.58 interceptions per game, and overall only Fresno State
safety Safety is the state of being protected from harm or other danger. Safety can also refer to the control of recognized hazards in order to achieve an acceptable level of risk. Meanings The word 'safety' entered the English language in the 1 ...
Phillip Thomas had more, with 8 interceptions that season. Te'o's season-high per game was 2 interceptions for 28 yards against
Michigan Michigan ( ) is a peninsular U.S. state, state in the Great Lakes region, Great Lakes region of the Upper Midwest, Upper Midwestern United States. It shares water and land boundaries with Minnesota to the northwest, Wisconsin to the west, ...
. In the 2012 season, Notre Dame ranked second in the nation in scoring defense (10.33 points per game) and ranked in the top 19 nationally in four other defensive categories: fifth in rushing defense (92.42 yards per game), sixth in total defense (287.25 yards per game), 12th in pass efficiency defense (105.58) and 19th in sacks (2.75 per game). Te'o's 8.58 tackles per game is three and a half more per game than the squad's next-most prolific tackler, Zeke Motta (5.09 per game). Te'o is one of the most decorated defensive players in college football history. He won the 2012 Defensive IMPACT Player of the Year Lott Trophy, as well as the
Maxwell Award The Maxwell Award is presented annually to the college football player judged by a panel of sportscasters, sportswriters, and National Collegiate Athletic Association head coaches and the membership of the Maxwell Football Club to be the best all ...
, the
Chuck Bednarik Award The Chuck Bednarik Award is presented annually to the defensive player of the year in college football as judged by the Maxwell Football Club to be the best in the United States. The award is named for Chuck Bednarik, a former college and profess ...
, the
Bronko Nagurski Trophy The Bronko Nagurski Trophy has been awarded annually since 1993 to the collegiate American football defensive player adjudged by the membership of the Football Writers Association of America (FWAA) to be the best in the National Collegiate Athle ...
, the
Butkus Award The Butkus Award, instituted in 1985 by the Downtown Athletic Club of Orlando, is given annually to the top linebackers at the high school, collegiate and professional levels of football. The award, named in honor of College Football Hall of Fame ...
, the
Lombardi Award The Rotary Lombardi Award is an award for college football in the United States. Awarded by the Rotary Club of Houston, Texas annually to the college football player "who best embodies the values and spirit of NFL's legendary coach Vince Lombard ...
, and the
Walter Camp Award The Walter Camp Player of the Year Award is given annually to the collegiate American football player of the year, as decided by a group of National Collegiate Athletic Association (NCAA) Division I FBS head coaches and sports information direc ...
. In addition, he was named a national scholar-athlete by the
National Football Foundation The National Football Foundation (NFF) is a non-profit organization to promote amateur American football on all levels throughout the United States and develop "the qualities of leadership, sportsmanship, competitive zeal and the drive for academi ...
. One of three finalists for the
Heisman Trophy The Heisman Memorial Trophy ( ; also known simply as the Heisman) is awarded annually since 1935 to the top player in college football. It is considered the most prestigious award in the sport and is presented by the Heisman Trophy Trust followin ...
, Te'o eventually finished second in the voting to
Texas A&M Texas A&M University (Texas A&M, A&M, TA&M, or TAMU) is a public university, public, Land-grant university, land-grant, research university in College Station, Texas, United States. It was founded in 1876 and became the flagship institution of ...
quarterback Johnny Manziel. In the
BCS National Championship Game The BCS National Championship Game was a postseason college football bowl game, used to determine a national champion of the NCAA Division I Football Bowl Subdivision (FBS), first played in the 1998 college football season as one of four des ...
, Te'o recorded 10 tackles in a 42–14 loss to a 12–1
Alabama Alabama ( ) is a U.S. state, state in the Southeastern United States, Southeastern and Deep South, Deep Southern regions of the United States. It borders Tennessee to the north, Georgia (U.S. state), Georgia to the east, Florida and the Gu ...
team which won its third national championship in four years. Alabama took control from the start and led 14–0 after the first quarter and extended its lead to a 28–0 score by halftime. Te'o finished with 7 assists and 3 solo tackles.


College statistics

Te'o has 437 total tackles in his four-year career at Notre Dame. He ranks third all-time in school history behind Bob Crable (521, 1978–81) and Bob Golic (479, 1975–78). He started in 47 consecutive games, beginning with the fourth game of his freshman season, at that point the longest streak of any linebacker in the country. He joins Crable as the second player in Notre Dame history to record 100+ tackles in three consecutive seasons. All statistics from ''Notre Dame Official Athletic Site'',


Professional career


Pre-draft

Te'o decided to return to Notre Dame after the 2011 season despite being projected a late first-round pick for the
2012 NFL draft The 2012 NFL draft was the 77th annual meeting of National Football League (NFL) franchises to select newly eligible American football players for their rosters. The draft, which is officially called the "NFL Player Selection Meeting", was held ...
as early as mid-season of 2011. In preseason
mock draft Mock draft is a term used by sports websites and magazines in reference to a simulation of a sports league draft (sports), draft or fantasy sports league's draft. ESPN has run mock drafts on the front page of its website, allowing any visitor to ...
s from May 2012, Te'o was listed as a late first-rounder for the
2013 NFL draft The 2013 NFL draft was the 78th annual meeting of National Football League (NFL) franchises to select newly eligible football players. The draft, which is officially called the "NFL Player Selection Meeting", was held at Radio City Music Hall in ...
as well. By mid-season, he had moved up to the mid-first round. Notre Dame has not seen one of their linebackers selected in the first round since Bob Crable in
1982 Events January * January 1 – In Malaysia and Singapore, clocks are adjusted to the same time zone, UTC+8 (GMT+8.00). * January 13 – Air Florida Flight 90 crashes shortly after takeoff into the 14th Street Bridge in Washington, D.C. ...
. At the conclusion of the 2012 college football season, Te'o signed with agent
Tom Condon Thomas Joseph Condon (born October 26, 1952) is an American football Sports agent, agent and former right guard. He was named the most powerful agent in American football by ''Sporting News'' in 2006 and heads the Football Division of Creative A ...
. He was training at the
IMG Academy IMG Academy is a University-preparatory school, preparatory boarding school and sports training destination in Bradenton, Florida, United States. The organization is set across over 600 acres (243 ha) and features programs consisting of sport ca ...
in
Bradenton, Florida Bradenton ( ) is a city in and the county seat of Manatee County, Florida, Manatee County, Florida, United States. As of the 2020 United States census, 2020 census, the city's population is 55,698, up from 49,546 at the 2010 census. It is a pri ...
, in preparation for the NFL Draft. Te'o attended the NFL Combine under a lot of scrutiny by NFL teams. His comparably slow time of 4.82 in the 40-yard dash was disappointing, but he promised to "do a lot better" at his Notre Dame pro day. After the combine, ''
Sports Illustrated ''Sports Illustrated'' (''SI'') is an American sports magazine first published in August 1954. Founded by Stuart Scheftel, it was the first magazine with a circulation of over one million to win the National Magazine Award for General Excellen ...
'' projected Te'o to fall out of the first round. At Notre Dame Pro Day on March 26, Te'o ran faster according to ''ESPN's'' Todd McShay (hand-timed 4.75 and 4.71).


San Diego Chargers


2013 season

He was selected in the second round, 38th overall by the
San Diego Chargers The San Diego Chargers were a professional American football team in the National Football League (NFL). The Chargers played in San Diego, California from 1961 until 2016, before relocating back to the Greater Los Angeles area, where the franch ...
, as the second inside linebacker in the draft behind Alec Ogletree. "It's a perfect scenario. My parents can come and watch, I can go home, it's San Diego," said Te'o on draft day. He was the highest selected Notre Dame linebacker since Demetrius DuBose in
1993 The United Nations General Assembly, General Assembly of the United Nations designated 1993 as: * International Year for the World's Indigenous People The year 1993 in the Kwajalein Atoll in the Marshall Islands had only 364 days, since its ...
, until
Jaylon Smith Jaylon Smith (born June 14, 1995) is an American professional American football, football linebacker for the Las Vegas Raiders of the National Football League (NFL). He played college football for the Notre Dame Fighting Irish football, Notre Da ...
was selected in the 2016 NFL Draft. On May 9, 2013, Te'o signed a four-year contract with the Chargers. The deal included a $2,141,768 signing bonus and was worth just over $5 million with over $3.1 million in guaranteed money. He was the second linebacker of
Polynesia Polynesia ( , ) is a subregion of Oceania, made up of more than 1,000 islands scattered over the central and southern Pacific Ocean. The indigenous people who inhabit the islands of Polynesia are called Polynesians. They have many things in ...
n descent to play for the Chargers (after
Junior Seau Tiaina Baul "Junior" Seau Jr. (; ; January 19, 1969 – May 2, 2012) was an American professional football linebacker who played in the National Football League (NFL) for 20 seasons, mostly with the San Diego Chargers. Known for his passionate ...
). Te'o injured his right foot in the Chargers' preseason opener against the
Seattle Seahawks The Seattle Seahawks are a professional American football team based in Seattle. The Seahawks compete in the National Football League (NFL) as a member of the National Football Conference (NFC) NFC West, West division. The club entered the NFL a ...
on August 8, which caused him to miss the remainder of preseason as well as the regular season opener against the
Houston Texans The Houston Texans are a professional American football team based in Houston. The Texans compete in the National Football League as a member of the American Football Conference (AFC) AFC South, South division. The team plays its home games at N ...
. Te'o made his NFL debut in a week 4 matchup against the
Dallas Cowboys The Dallas Cowboys are a professional American football team based in the Dallas–Fort Worth metroplex. The Cowboys compete in the National Football League (NFL) as a member of the National Football Conference (NFC) NFC East, East division. T ...
. Te'o finished the game with three tackles as the Chargers won. Te'o ended the season with 61 tackles and 4 passes defended in 13 games started.


2014 season

Te'o looked to improve from 2013; however, on September 23, 2014, Te'o suffered a fractured foot. He returned in the middle of the season against the
Oakland Raiders The Oakland Raiders were a professional American football team based in Oakland, California, from its founding in 1960 to 1981, and again from 1995 to 2019 before Oakland Raiders relocation to Las Vegas, relocating to the Las Vegas metropolitan ...
. Against the
New England Patriots The New England Patriots are a professional American football team based in the Greater Boston area. The Patriots compete in the National Football League (NFL) as a member of the American Football Conference (AFC) AFC East, East division. The Pa ...
, Te'o intercepted
Tom Brady Thomas Edward Patrick Brady Jr. (born August 3, 1977) is an American former professional American football, football quarterback who played in the National Football League (NFL) for 23 seasons. He spent his first 20 seasons with the New Engla ...
in the red zone, while covering
Rob Gronkowski Robert James Gronkowski (born May 14, 1989) is an American former professional American football, football tight end who played in the National Football League (NFL) for 11 seasons. Nicknamed "Gronk", Gronkowski played nine seasons for the Ne ...
, for his first NFL interception. A few weeks later, in the Chargers comeback victory against the
San Francisco 49ers The San Francisco 49ers (also written as the San Francisco Forty-Niners and nicknamed the Niners) are a professional American football team based in the San Francisco Bay Area. The 49ers compete in the National Football League (NFL) as a member ...
, Te'o earned his first NFL sack by sacking
Colin Kaepernick Colin Rand Kaepernick ( ; born November 3, 1987) is an American civil rights activist and former professional football quarterback. He played six seasons for the San Francisco 49ers in the National Football League (NFL). In 2016, he gained na ...
—coincidentally, the first player Te'o tackled in his collegiate career—on a 4th down play. Manti finished the season with 61 tackles, 1 sack, 1 interception, and 3 pass deflections.


2015 season

In 2015, Te'o had 63 tackles, one interception, and one forced fumble. He missed four games in mid-season due to an ankle injury.


2016 season

On September 5, 2016, Te'o was named one of the Chargers' team captains for the 2016 season. On September 28, 2016, he was placed on injured reserve with a torn
Achilles In Greek mythology, Achilles ( ) or Achilleus () was a hero of the Trojan War who was known as being the greatest of all the Greek warriors. The central character in Homer's ''Iliad'', he was the son of the Nereids, Nereid Thetis and Peleus, ...
.


New Orleans Saints

On March 21, 2017, Te'o signed a two-year contract with the
New Orleans Saints The New Orleans Saints are a professional American football team based in New Orleans. The Saints compete in the National Football League (NFL) as a member of the National Football Conference (NFC) NFC South, South division. Since 1975, the team ...
. He led the Saints in tackles for loss during the 2017 season. He was a healthy inactive for all but five games of the 2018 season and was not re-signed when his contract expired. After Te'o did not play for most of the 2019 season, New Orleans re-signed him on December 3, 2019.


Chicago Bears

On October 20, 2020, Te'o was signed to the
Chicago Bears The Chicago Bears are a professional American football team based in Chicago. The Bears compete in the National Football League (NFL) as a member of the National Football Conference (NFC) NFC North, North division. They are one of two remaining ...
' practice squad. He was placed on the practice squad/
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list by the team on December 7, 2020, and restored to the practice squad on December 19. He was elevated to the active roster on January 9, 2021, for the team's wild card playoff loss against the
New Orleans Saints The New Orleans Saints are a professional American football team based in New Orleans. The Saints compete in the National Football League (NFL) as a member of the National Football Conference (NFC) NFC South, South division. Since 1975, the team ...
, and reverted to the practice squad after the game. His practice squad contract with the team expired after the season on January 18, 2021.


NFL career statistics


Regular season


Playoffs


Personal life

Te'o was born in Laie, Hawaii, on January 26, 1991, of Samoan ancestry. He is the son of Brian and Ottilia Te'o and has five siblings: sisters BrieAnne, Tiare, Eden, Maya and brother Manasseh. In high school, Te'o had a 3.52
grade-point average Grading in education is the application of standardized measurements to evaluate different levels of student achievement in a course. Grades can be expressed as letters (usually A to F), as a range (for example, 1 to 6), percentages, or as num ...
and did volunteer work with the Shriners Hospital, Head Start preschool program, Hawai'i Food Bank and
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. Te'o also became an
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in November 2008. Te'o is an active member of
the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints, informally known as the LDS Church or Mormon Church, is a Nontrinitarianism, nontrinitarian Restorationism, restorationist Christianity, Christian Christian denomination, denomination and the ...
. In February 2020, Te'o became engaged to his girlfriend, personal trainer and beauty consultant Jovi Nicole Engbino. The couple married in San Diego, California, on August 29, 2020. Te'o has a daughter, Hiro Te'o, born August 12, 2021, and a son, Kyro Te'o, born January 16, 2023. Te'o is a close friend of quarterback Tua Tagovailoa, a fellow Samoan NFL player who grew up in Hawaii, and refers to Tagavailoa as his "little brother". Te'o was a member of
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's broadcasting team for the 2024 NFL Christmas day games. In August 2024, NFL Network announced that Te'o would join the network as an on-air analyst. He is a regular commentator on Good Morning Football.


Catfishing incident

Te'o told many media outlets that both his grandmother and his girlfriend had died on September 12, 2012. Te'o said that his girlfriend,
Stanford University Leland Stanford Junior University, commonly referred to as Stanford University, is a Private university, private research university in Stanford, California, United States. It was founded in 1885 by railroad magnate Leland Stanford (the eighth ...
student Lennay Kekua, had been injured in a car accident, and was discovered during her treatment to have
leukemia Leukemia ( also spelled leukaemia; pronounced ) is a group of blood cancers that usually begin in the bone marrow and produce high numbers of abnormal blood cells. These blood cells are not fully developed and are called ''blasts'' or '' ...
. Te'o did not miss any football games for Notre Dame, saying that he had promised Kekua he would play even if something had happened to her. Many sports media outlets reported on these tragedies during Te'o's strong 2012 season and emergence as a Heisman Trophy candidate. After receiving an anonymous email tip in January 2013, reporters Timothy Burke and Jack Dickey of the sports blog ''
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'' conducted an investigation into Kekua's identity. On January 16, they published an article alleging Kekua did not exist and pointed to a man named Ronaiah "Naya" Tuiasosopo ( ) as involved in the
hoax A hoax (plural: hoaxes) is a widely publicised falsehood created to deceive its audience with false and often astonishing information, with the either malicious or humorous intent of causing shock and interest in as many people as possible. S ...
of a relationship with Te'o. Tuiasosopo has been described as a family friend or acquaintance of Te'o. Pictures of Kekua that had been published in the media were actually of a former high school classmate of Tuiasosopo. On the same day the ''Deadspin'' article was published, Notre Dame issued a statement that "Manti had been the victim of what appears to be a hoax in which someone using the fictitious name Lennay Kekua apparently ingratiated herself with Manti and then conspired with others to lead him to believe she had tragically died of leukemia." In a press conference, Notre Dame athletic director Jack Swarbrick confirmed the university had hired private investigators to uncover the source of the hoax, and he clarified that Te'o's relationship with Kekua was "exclusively an online relationship". This conflicted with previous accounts from Te'o and his family that the couple had first met after a football game. Swarbrick then visited Te'o in Hawaii. Swarbrick said Te'o informed Notre Dame of the hoax on December 26, 2012, after receiving a phone call on December 6 from the woman he knew as Kekua, claiming she was still alive. However, Te'o mentioned Kekua's death in at least four separate interviews in the days following the phone call. In response to the growing suspicions that he was involved in the hoax, Te'o agreed to a January 18, 2013, interview with sports journalist
Jeremy Schaap Jeremy Schaap (born 1969) is an American sportswriter, television reporter and author. Schaap is an 11-time Emmy Awards winner for his work on ESPN's ''E:60'', ''SportsCenter'', and ''Outside the Lines''. Biography Schaap was born in New York ...
in which he maintained his innocence. Te'o explained he had lied to his father and others about meeting her in person because he thought he would be seen as "crazy" for having a serious relationship with a woman he had never met in person. Te'o said he was angered and confused by the December 6 phone call and had continued to speak of Kekua because the situation was unclear to him. Te'o further explained that Tuiasosopo claimed to be a cousin of Lennay Kekua, and that the two of them had communicated online over the last several years and met once in person at the 2012 Notre Dame/USC game. Te'o said Tuiasosopo admitted responsibility for the hoax in a telephone conversation on January 16. In a January 24, 2013, interview on ''
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'' with
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, Te'o played three voicemails left by Kekua and said the voice "sounds like a girl." In an appearance on ''
Dr. Phil Phillip Calvin McGraw (born September 1, 1950), also known as Dr. Phil, is an American television personality and author who is best known for hosting the talk show '' Dr. Phil''. He holds a doctorate in clinical psychology, though he ceased ...
'' on January 31 and February 1, Tuiasosopo confessed to the hoax and admitted to falling in love with Te'o and using the Kekua identity. Tuiasosopo also recreated the female voice behind a privacy screen. Relatives of Tuiasosopo told the ''
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'' that Kekua's voice belonged to Tuiasosopo's cousin. Despite the revelation Kekua did not exist, NFL player Reagan Maui'a said he met someone twice, claiming to be Kekua, and they had been introduced by Tuiasosopo, whom he believed to be Kekua's cousin. Te'o's experience was the subject of a
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documentary, '' Untold: The Girlfriend Who Didn't Exist'', which was released in August 2022.


Notes


References


Further reading

*


External links


New Orleans Saints bioLos Angeles Chargers bio


* {{DEFAULTSORT:Te'o, Manti 1991 births Living people American sportspeople of Samoan descent Sportspeople from Laie Players of American football from Honolulu County, Hawaii Latter Day Saints from Hawaii American football linebackers Punahou School alumni Under Armour All-American football players Notre Dame Fighting Irish football players All-American college football players New Orleans Saints players San Diego Chargers players Chicago Bears players Walter Camp Award winners Pacific Islander American players of American football Maxwell Award winners